Snapdragon
by seiyuna
Summary: "Tell me," Leorio demands, so angry and in love, "what did you do to Kurapika?" — Omegaverse AU. Companion piece to Nightshade.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

" _You fucker_ —"

—is all Kuroro hears before a fist collides with his face, nearly sending him reeling backwards. He pretends that he doesn't stagger with the force, but the sharp impact to his nose, the sudden wash of blood, make his eyebrows arch high on his face. If this had been directed towards someone with less experience, surely they would've been left on their knees.

The medical student—Leorio, if he recalls correctly, stands before him with a furious intensity in his eyes. His fists are clenched by his side, his knuckles grazed with blood, and there's indignance in every line of his body. Kuroro didn't think he had it in him.

"Tell me," Leorio demands, so angry and in love, "what did you do to Kurapika?"

Kuroro isn't certain what that is supposed to mean. He straightens his posture, steadying his feet beneath him, though Machi has already acted on his behalf. Thin threads woven by her hand, stretch taut against Leorio's throat. Another step towards him would mean certain death.

Machi sends a glance his way, weighted with implication. "Are you—"

"You can let him go," Kuroro answers with utmost composure, though she seems to have been alluding to his reaction instead. He shifts his attention to Leorio while pinching his nose. "I don't see how that is any concern of yours. Though, whatever Kurapika has told you is hardly mine."

"What Kurapika _hasn't_ told me," comes Leorio's response, and Kuroro thinks he understands now. Leorio wants to hear everything from his own lips. When the threads have loosened, he has the audacity to lunge forward, seizing Kuroro by the collar of his jacket and pulling him up so that they're eye-to-eye. A visible tremor shakes through his hands, barely restrained by his temper.

"You are not his lover," Kuroro says, and the word _Beta_ lingers on his tongue. The scent of fresh blood fills his nose, though he doesn't detect anything indicative on Leorio. Nothing heavy and oppressive as he would have expected were Leorio anything but a Beta.

Leorio's hands fall slack for the briefest of moments, before tightening their hold again. "I'm his friend." Something seems to sting at his eyes, as if he would never be anything but that, but his gaze does not falter and Kuroro meets it as evenly as he is able to. "Does marking Kurapika make you his lover?"

"If you have seen the mark," Kuroro says slowly, thinking of the claiming bite concealed behind the collar of Kurapika's dress shirt, "then you would know what it means. I have nothing to say to you."

From the corner of his eye, he catches the way Machi's brows lift faintly in surprise, how her mouth parts in question. It's to be expected, since he did not divulge the slightest of details to her. Apparently, Kurapika chose not to do so to his companions either, if Leorio felt justified to approach him in this manner.

The sound of brisk footsteps approach them in the hallway, and then there's a cautious hand on Leorio's shoulder. "You are going too far, Boar."

At the sight of Cheadle Yorkshire standing behind him, Leorio quickly pulls back, his hands falling to his sides. She's dressed in scrubs just as he is, but she dons a white coat appropriate for a physician and medical director. Perhaps it is her authority that makes him lower his head, offering a semblance of apology, because Kuroro knows that while he might regret causing a commotion in such close proximity to the medical wards, he doesn't regret landing a punch on him.

"This is not what I asked of you," Cheadle says sternly.

Kuroro adjusts his collar and sweeps his hand across the nonexistent dust on his clothing. "For someone who is supposed to be well-versed in healing, you are rather violent."

"Fine." Leorio chooses not to respond his comment, but his gaze grows heavy with the weight of knowledge, the way that he knows something that Kuroro does not. "While we would not disclose confidential information in any other circumstance, Kurapika's supposed— _mate_ deserves to know that he is currently under our care." Kuroro pauses, for an unfamiliar unease makes itself known in his stomach. Kurapika seemed fine enough a few days ago, where nothing could warrant him lying in a hospital bed. "He's been unwell enough that recently, more serious treatment has been necessary."

"Kuroro Lucifer." Cheadle's tone anchors him. "I'd like for you to come with us."

* * *

Notes: Please make sure to read my other work Nightshade first.

These are just some short, self-indulgent scenes I decided to write, since updating Snowdrop and writing about the Dark Continent is rather difficult for me right now. The prose and tone of this one will likely not match the rest of my A/B/O series, since I'm just exploring some scenes that didn't make it in my other fics.

I think one of the questions I received most often was, how Leorio or the Spiders would react to their relationship. So this fic might explore that.

Feel free to leave a comment or let me know if there's anything you're interested in seeing fleshed out more. You can also reach out to me on Twitter (seiyunablog) or Tumblr (seiyuna).


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

A myriad of scenarios runs through Kuroro's mind as he's led through the medical wards. While medical facilities and personnel are limited onboard, private rooms are only available for passengers on the upper decks, reserved for more significant treatment. How Kurapika became one of these patients, what could have happened in the past few days that could warrant this—none of his conjectures seem plausible.

At the end of the hall, Leorio knocks once, before opening the door to the room. Kuroro follows, prepared for anything that may have befallen him and his mate.

Against the white sheets, Kurapika lies at an upright angle with IV lines running from his right arm. Kuroro can see the weariness in his face, with his skin taking on a pallor and shadows beneath his eyes. Kurapika's eyes widen at the sight of him, then returns to Leorio and Cheadle. The sheets rustle as he attempts to straighten his posture. "What are you—"

"I requested that he come here," Cheadle answers, firm and professional. Leorio is neither looking at him nor Kurapika, turning his attention to a stack of paperwork on a clipboard instead. "Have a seat, Kuroro."

As Kuroro settles in the chair by his bedside, Kurapika takes a tissue from the table and folds it twice. He reaches over to Kuroro, patting the tissue against his nose, unaware of the attention from everyone that the gesture brings. "What happened to you?"

Kuroro could ask the same of him. He just sits there as Kurapika cleans up the mess on his face as if he were the patient instead. The tension that gripped him earlier has eased, partly because Kurapika is well enough to speak to him, but mostly because Kurapika's natural scent lingers in the air, unburied by the sharp scent of antiseptic in the room. "Nothing, really."

"Rat," Cheadle says, and he lowers his hand from Kuroro's face. "It would be best if we explain your circumstances to your partner. Is it acceptable if we do so?"

Kurapika settles back against the bed in resignation, and does not contest how she has referred to Kuroro as his mate. Kuroro has never seen him so tired before. "Since you've brought him all the way here, I trust your judgment."

Cheadle nods, directing her gaze to Kuroro. "The overuse of heat suppressants has taken a considerable toll on his body—to the point he was rendered unconscious for two days." Though her gaze softens, her communication remains clinical. "From what we understand, he has a history of continuous use of suppressants to avoid his heat cycles. Per my recommendation, only a month ago did he discontinue usage. This is when he chose to spend his heat—his first in a few years—with you." The crinkle of paper in Leorio's hands brings her pause. "Recently, his sudden reintroduction of suppressants threw his body into disarray, which brings us to where we are now."

Kuroro can scent Kurapika's unease in the air, for he made another decision at the cost of his own well-being. What Cheadle will say next is certainly to be expected.

"As your physician, Rat, I believe it's important that you should not only have your heats regularly, but also be able to spend them with someone you trust. When you have a mate, heats are supposed to be more pleasant experiences." Cheadle glances between them, but her gaze doesn't tell Kuroro anything. It is uncertain if she is aware of their past together, but Kuroro wouldn't put it past her to know. "With your current state, I highly advise against continuing your usage of suppressants. We can't have you suffering from the consequences like this."

"This is difficult," Kurapika admits. If Kuroro takes his perspective into consideration, being subjected to a regular dependence on his partner does not sound fair. Though, Kuroro doesn't really mind. "But I will think about it."

His noncompliance makes Cheadle frown slightly. "Are you currently on contraception?"

Kurapika shifts uncomfortably against the bed. There are still certain things that haven't been made known to Kuroro, but instead of divulging to him in private, Kurapika is informing him in the presence of two Zodiacs. "I take pills, but not for the reasons you may expect. They help my symptoms during the week of pre-heat."

"You should make an effort to continue taking them," Cheadle says, closing her eyes for a brief moment, "since you would be at peak fertility during your heat. I have a few questions for you now, Kuroro."

For a moment, the mention of Kurapika's reproductive capabilities distracts him. During his adolescence in Meteor City, medical knowledge evaded him. It was only until he left for the first time, that he was introduced to greater knowledge about Omegas, mostly for Machi's sake. More often than not, information was presented through a lens that reduced them to their reproductive functions, disregarding the agency and experiences of the very people who were Omegas.

Kuroro lets out a quiet sigh. Surely, Machi will want to speak to him after this. "Alright."

Cheadle receives the clipboard from Leorio, turning to the last page within the stack of papers. "If you're willing to tell us, how often do you experience ruts?"

"Rarely," Kuroro answers. He doesn't know what to expect, if anything will have changed now, with his next rut. "I can't recall the last time it happened. Perhaps a few years ago."

"It didn't trigger during his heat?"

"It didn't," Kuroro confirms. Being with Kurapika for the first time was wonderful, but at that time, he maintained control over himself and his urges.

"Since you two have been established as a bonded pair, your rut may align with his heat cycles in the future. You will not experience it as often as he experiences his heats, though." The scratch of her pen meets the paper, and Cheadle looks up at Kuroro from the clipboard. "Without suppressants, his heat cycles should stabilize. It's possible for him to experience heats as frequently as once a month, but spending his heat with him will effectively end it."

A flush of heat sweeps across Kurapika's cheeks. He seems abashed, from the discussion of their private matters in front of his friend, or perhaps the paradox of only gaining freedom from his biological imperatives from relying on his partner. Kuroro knows that Cheadle is well-intentioned, providing advice that will be most beneficial for Kurapika's health.

"This is all I wanted to say, Kuroro. I hope that you two will make decisions that will act in the best interest of your health and well-being."

"Thank you," Kuroro says, glancing at Kurapika. He still has his gaze averted, his attention on his hands in his lap instead of Kuroro. "We'll continue this discussion between ourselves."

Cheadle nods. "Rat, I'd like to keep you here for another day or two to monitor your health and ensure that you'll be in your best shape before discharge. Make sure that you adhere to your medication and get some rest."

Right before Leorio follows her through the door, Kurapika calls out to him. "Leorio?"

"Sorry. I need some time to think," Leorio says in a way that makes Kurapika flinch, but he turns to look back with an apologetic expression. "If you need anything, just let me know."

The door falls shut with a quiet click, leaving only the two of them in the room.

* * *

Notes: Again, just short scenes for my A/B/O series. This one is more clinical in nature, since I didn't go into too much depth with other fics. The next chapter will probably entail more interaction between Kuroro and Kurapika, and perhaps with Machi as well.

Feel free to let me know if there's anything you're interested in learning more about in this series. I am lacking the motivation to continue Snowdrop, so I might shorten that fic to a few chapters. T_T

Please leave a comment. You can also reach out to me on Twitter (seiyunablog) or Tumblr (seiyuna).


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